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(.No Model.) i Y -J,T.P0 STBR.- Y DISH CLOTH HOLDER. v No.. 296,550. Patented Apr. a, 1884.

JOHN T. FOSTER, OF ARLINGTON NEIV JERSEY.

DISHCLOTH-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 296,550, dated April 8, 1884.

Application filed December 21, 1583. (No model.)

Tamil wife/Um, it iii/Cty concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. Fos'rnn, of Arlington, Hudson county, New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dishcloth-Holders, of which the fol-V lowing is a specilication.

lily invention relates to that .classl of tongs or clasps adapted to grasp and hold a dishcloth and enable the same to be used in hot water to clean deep or dat dishes without the necessity of bringing the hand in contact with the cloth, the interior ofthe dish, or with the hot water. Such devices generally consist of u a long stern or handle having two divergent grasping-jaws on one end and a sliding manipulating device on the stem, whereby the jaws may bc closed or opened to grasp or rclease the cloth. Hy improvements lie in the special construction oi' the graspingjaws and of the sliding manipulating device in the stem and in the operating connection between the4 two, as hereinafter fully set forth, whereby a very efficient utensil is produced.

In the drawings annexed, Figure 1 presents a side elevation of myimproved utensil shown. partly in sec-tion, and Fig. 2shows a front elevation ot' the saine.

In these views, a indicates the stem of the utensil, which is of a length suitable to reach into dishes, and is preferably made of alight round metallic rod. On one end of this rod a is fixed a wooden or other handle, b, and at the opposite end two grasping-jaws, o c, are pivoted thereto on a rivet, d.. These jaws are preferably formed and arranged relatively to each other like the two halves of a bivalve shell, and, being hinged by the rivet d to the end of the rod a, are thus capable of opening apart and closing together, as, shown by full and dotted lines in Fig. ll. I prefer to form these shell-like jaws in shape similar to a scallop shell with radial corrugations, as shown in Fig. 2, the scalloped edges of the jaws being, however", exaggerated, so as to form blunt but distinct teeth e', which are coincident with said corrugations, and will interniesh when the jaws close together, as shown in Figs. l and 2, and thus hold more iirmly anything placed between the jaws. This form of the 5o jaws is therefore not only pleasing and attractive, but is a shape well adapt-ed to be struck up from thin sheet metal and yet render the jaws very strong and stili', and adapted to take a very iirm hold on anything which they may grasp. New, on the rod a, near the handle b, is fitted a sliding manipulating knob or sleeve, f, having laterallyprqiecting cross bar or wingsf, adapted to the grasp of the fingers, and on each side of this sleeve a light rod or tongue, g, is iixed, and extends from thence nearly parallel with the rod cp toward thejaws, being bowed outward near the jaws, with their extremities hooked and passed into slots i i in the back of the jaws and engaged with a bar, 7c, between said slots, as fully shown in Figs. l and 2. The tongues g ,f/ therefore form an operative connection between the sleeve j' and the jaws, and these tongues are preferably strong springs having a constant tendency to spring toward each other and firmly close the jaws, as shown by full lines in Fig. 1 and it will be seen that as the tongues connect with the jaws at a lateral distance from their pivot d, and as the sleeveis free to move on the. stem a toward the handle, hence if the sleeve is slid in this direction thetongues will pull open the jaws, and this opening niotion will further ilex and diverge thesprings, as indicated by dottedlines, whereas, when the sleeve is released, the reaction of the springs will'immediately close the jaws together and forcibly grasp any cloth or other. article placed between, as will be readily comprehended. In nsingthe device, therefore, the manipulating endet' the device is grasped in the hand, with the end of the handle b resting against the thumb or against the palm of the hand, while the first and second ngers straddle the stein and rest upon the wingsf. By now exerting the pressure of the fingers on the said wingsf, the sleeve will be slid toward the handle until stopped by the ferrule of the handle, which thus limits the movement of the sleeve, and this movement will diverge or open the jaws, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. l, thus enabling the dishcloth or other article to be placed within the grasp of the jaws, and as soon as the pressure of the iingers is relaxed the sleeve will spring back to its normal position, and the jaws will be closed iirmly together on the cloth by the action of the springs g g, as will be readily understood,

IOO

and this grasp will continue without any effort of the hand, or without the necessity of any locking device, so long as the sleeve remains in its normal position. This device will therefore enable the cloth to be used to washdeep or shallow dishes, and to be used in very hot water, or on greasy dishes, without requiring` the contact of the hands therewith, which will therefore render the washing operation not only'much more pleasant, but enable it to be done quicker and much more perfectly on account of the greater reach thus obtained, and the fact that much hotter water can be used than would be possible with the hand in contact therewith.

It will be seen that instead of having both jaws movable with the two operating tongues,

g g, one jaw may be iiXed, and the other movable, with one tongue connecting therewith.

I however prefer the duplex construction shown. It will also be noted that in the construction I illustrate the tongues g serve both as closing springs and operating rods between the sleeve and jaws. If desired, however, the tongues may be rigid to serve simply as connecting-rods, while a separate spring or springs may be used to close the jaws; but it is obvious that the preferred construction is much simpler and presents an advantage which forms one feature of my invention.

What I claimisl. A grasping-tongs for holding dishcloths or other articles, consisting of a stem or handie, two grasping-jaws on the end thereof,

a spring tongue or tongues arranged to constantly hold thesaid jaws closed by lateral pressure thereon, and a longitudinally-sliding manipulating device for iieXing said tongues,

, and thus opening the jaws, substantially as herein set forth.

' 2. A device for holding dishcloths, &c., consisting of a stem, a, having a suitable handie, in combination with the jaws c c, hinged on the end of the stem and formed of sheet metal shaped and corrugated in the form of [handle b, of the hinged jaws c c, formed in the shape of corrugated shells, with toothed intermeshingedges, and with suitable means for opening and closing said jaws, substantially as herein set forth. l

4. The combination, with the stem a, having a suitable handle, of jaws c c, hinged on the end thereof, a manipulating sleeve or knob sliding on said stem, and one or more tongues or rods, gg, connecting said sleeve with one or both of said jaws, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a device for holding cloths, Src., the combination, with a handle and graspingjaws supported therefrom, of a sliding manipulating sleeve or knob operatively connected with the jaws to open the same, and formed with the laterally-projecting' fingerrests ff, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination, with the stem a and handle b, of hingedjaws c c, sliding sleevef, and connecting-tongues g g, arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a grasping or tongs device, substantially such as set forth, the combination, with the stem or handle, of the grasping jaw or jaws L formed'with slots i z' and barJc, the tongue or rod g, having a hooked end engaging in said slot and bar, and a manipulating device 

